Newly Independent

There are no more people more happy with US now than Muslims in a certain land. Do not dismiss this as an outlandish, for this certain land is Kosovo and people are Albanians of Kosovo. They adore Bush and for a good reason.

Unilaterally declared independence is not a step easily supported by Great Powers, and as such appears to be strange. Understood therefore is Russian rage and disbelief of Orthodox Christians, who look in dismay on selling out of a sacred land (Kosovo is remembered by Orthodox Serbians as a sight of a famous battle with Ottomans and their defeat at the hand of thereof). Nuns and priests with crosses crying over Kosovo was a pitiful sight, and rage towards the "Unchristian" and Satanic West selling them out was palpably real.

I have just recently read in a radical Islamist newspaper thatthe true reason behind American support for Albanians is not altruism but a desire, to split Islamic unity at the time where fight with the West is intensifying.

In all of this a plight of Albanians themselves is of least importance. They have decided their fate by voting and now have come in cautiously into international spotlight, waiting in line to join Europe. They do not want to live in Serbia after what have been done to them, nor are Serbians are willing to accomodate them.

Kosovo's declaration of independence is controversial. With the disintegration of communism in Europe, the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia broke down into their constituent, formally sovereign republics, the last of which (declaring independence) was Montenegro (3 June 2006). The separation of Kosovo is politically of a different nature, as Kosovo did not possess the republic status. For this reason, a number of countries fear that it is a precedent, affecting other contested territories in Europe and non-European parts of the former Soviet Union, such as Chechnya (which although not one of the original Soviet republics, now does have republic status).

The text of Kosovo's declaration of independence addressed this issue by stating " ... Observing that Kosovo is a special case arising from Yugoslavia's non-consensual breakup and is not a precedent for any other situation, Recalling the years of strife and violence in Kosovo, that disturbed the conscience of all civilized people, ...". In other words, Kosovo's declaration of independence claims that Kosovo is a special case after the crisis in the 1990s and that it is not a precedent for this reason. Nevertheless, a number of countries like Spain and Cyprus do not plan to recognise Kosovo as an independent state because they fear that it will be regarded a precedent. It is also true for Azerbaijan, who may feel a certain affinity to Albanian case, but considers recognition of Kosovo independence detrimental to its national interest with Nagorno-Karabakh trying to be recognized. We should not allow it to happen.

Nevertheless the jenie is out of the bottle and has to be delt with. As a human being and a Muslim I am with Albanians on this one. As an Azeri nationalist I worry about the precedent that has now been set.